Soul Calibur II : A Tale Eternally Retold
by Trolt
Summary: The tale is based on the events that took place in Soul Calibur 2.
1. Footnotes

Soul Calibur 2 : A Tale Eternally Retold  
  
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This beginning part if for those who are not sure how I will set the theme, location and characters. Skip ahead if you want to go straight to the story  
  
***  
  
Beginning notes :  
This is a story set back in an era when the entire world was in fear of one mighty blade : "Soul Edge". People either tried to flee from the blade or fought to claim it. There was a mysterious "common tongue" that allowed people from all over the world to communicate to each other, so that explains how the Japanese can talk to the golem people. Also, there was a mysterious warrior-battle aura, that allows warriors to survive normally fatal attacks, so this makes the battles longer and more painful. Also, well-trained fighters were able to instill "soul" energy into their weapons, making them stronger than normal.  
  
Story footnotes :  
This is a tale that takes event after the final battle between Soul Calibur and Soul Edge. Nightmare was beatened down, and his blade was shattered. Shards of the malicious weapon were sent rocketing into the air, and spreading all over the planet. During the dawn of this new world, a handful of warriors rose in response to the spreading Soul Shards. Though their motives and paths were distanct, each of these souls were intricately linked to the fate of Soul Edge  
  
Character quick footnotes :  
  
Kilik : A young man raised in a secret martial arts temple, is teamed up with Xianghua to try to defeat the terrible Soul Edge. Kilik himself went mad several years ago, driving him to slaughter his entire brotherhood in the temple. The only thing left from the slaughter is his mighty Kali- Yuga, a mysterious battle-rod that was an ancient treasure of the temple. He believes that his mystic rod is capable of containing and purifying Soul Edge's evil, which will atone him for his sins. He fights using range and juggle capabilities.  
  
Xianghua : A young women, who once unknowingly wielded the Soul Calibur. She once served the Chinese Empire. She follows Kilik after her other ally, Maxi, disappears. She loses her Soul Calibur in a final battle several years ago against Nightmare and his life-stealing Soul Edge. Left without the legendary blade, she now is using a "normal" sword, and still hopes to destroy the re-emerging Soul Edge. She uses a quick, safe, and "playful" battle style.  
  
Nightmare : This rampaging super-butcher was once known Siegfried Schtauffen. He was possessed by submitting to the demonic Soul Edge, and was horribly mutated. Killing countless people in a vain attempt to feed the sword, Nightmare grew notorious as the walking nightmare with the giant blade. He was momentarily stopped by Soul Calibur. But inside this fearsome force-of-nature, is a young German man battling to keep his sanity. He uses overwhelming strength and range to pulverize his enemies.  
  
Talim : Born as the next wind priestess, this young girl is the ultimate essence of purity against Soul Edge's twisted influence. Taking with her a set of bladed tonfas, she leaves her duties from her homeland to cleanse the rest of the world. She uses her small size to her advantage in battle.  
  
Cervantes : This fearsome pirate was the former wielder of the Soul Edge. Killing more people than even Nightmare, he was supposed to have single- handedly bring the apocalypse to Earth. Fortunately, he was defeated by consecutive battles with Sophita, Taki, and Siegfried. His body was never found, and he transformed into a myth. His destructive skill with his twin swords had no weaknesses.  
  
Sophitia : A divine and merciful warrior-maiden strengthened by the gods, she was responsible for initiating Cervantes' downfall. Her original weapons were blessed by Hephaestus himself, but were stolen from her. She now uses the most finely human crafted weapons to bring justice. Blessed by the gods, and wielding a shield, she is nearly invulnerable.  
  
Taki : This demon hunting ninja was the woman that actually killed cervantes' mortal form. Even her existence is a secret in Japan, she is a great demon hunter, and feels a dutiful desire to destroy the demon-blade. Using her various ninja/assassin/demon hunting tactics, she overwhelms the enemy with a non-stop barrage of quick and powerful attacks.  
  
Cassandra : As the younger sister of Sophitia, she feels that the world is indebt to her sisters' deeds several years ago. Knowing that her sister prepares for battle once again, she plans to remove her sister's burden by taking the challenge herself. Using her sister's holy sword and shield, she is as tough as she is quick.  
  
Raphael : Once a French nobleman, this fencer loathes his ex-peers. He carefully plans to overthrow the nobles to ensure a future for his new family: a peasant girl named Amy. Being able to instantly change from defense to offense, he uses speed, spacing, and finesse to defeat his foes.  
  
Mitsurugi : Famous in Japan as the top mercenary, Mitsurugi is looking for a way to outmuscle the rifle. He travels from land to land, defeating enemies with his damaging samurai skills.  
  
Yunsung : A skillful yet flashy Korean, he is not respected because of his youthfulness. With everything to prove and nothing to lose, Yunsung leaves home to prove his worth. He uses a Chinese blade to inspire awe in his audience as he beats down on his opponents.  
  
Seung Mina : As a youth, she left Korea to prove herself, and now finds herself looking for Yunsung, who left to do the same. Feeling both contempt and understanding, she vows not to fail. Using a long bladed polearm, she uses range to and spacing to fight.  
  
Yoshimitsu : As a half-cybernetic samurai, Yoshimitsu's technology has unknown origins. Fleeing from Voldo, Yoshimitsu is set back in his plan to clean the world of evil. Using technology as well as swordsmanship, he fights by creating confusion and utilizing life-restoring powers.  
  
Voldo : The freakish Guardian of the Money Pit has risen to pursue a thief with a legendary treasure. The ageless enigma has mutated under the depths of the Money pit, and will stop at nothing to regain what is his master's. Being able to attack in any position, Voldo can never be overlooked. His unpredictability is his greatest weapon, which is always followed by his victory over a defeated foe.  
  
Astaroth : Having claimed thousands of souls with a giant axe, this towering golem was created by an evil cult for a secret purpose. It was finally destroyed by Maxi, and disappeared into nothing. However, its unmatched stamina and unnatural strength remain a legend.  
  
Maxi : Once a pirate, Maxi joined with Kilik and Xianghua to avenge his slaughtered crew. Upon achieving vengeance by defeating the golem Astaroth, his battered body was swallowed up by the Earth. Living on as a memory in the hearts of Kilik and Xianghua, Maxi is remembered for his powerful and unstoppable nunchaku offensive onslaughts.  
  
Ivy : Though Ivy is known and desired all throughout England, few know the truth about her dark past. She has brought a whip-sword to life by making a pact with a demon. She and her living weapon double teams her enemies, using sheer range and power to kill. 


	2. Faltering Faith

Chapter One  
  
It was during the still of night that Talim made her escape from the village. In all her 14 years of life, she has never set foot outside her village, she felt slightly scared yet free as she ran towards the sea.  
  
She thought to herself, about how earlier she argued with the village elders about gaining permission to leave. The village elders forbid her to leave the village, because she was born to be the Wind Priestess. The village worshipped the winds, and said that they would be blessed if Talim were to stay. Talim felt that the responsibility was just an excuse to keep her from trying to explore the world.  
  
"How can I possibly do any good as the Wind Priestess? I am at an age where I should be exploring and learning, and most certainly not be stuck in an old temple. I will be bored out of my mind!" Talim thought to herself, " I'm not even sure what the winds can do."  
  
Thinking while she was running, she realized just how close her village was to the ocean. The Spanish people that she was told about will probably have docked their grand trade ships somewhere along the coast.  
  
After a few minutes of wandering in the dark, all her feelings of doubt and regret were suppressed when she saw a giant ship preparing to leave.  
  
***  
  
Strangely enough, nearly half a world away, another young girl snuck away from home. Cassandra Alexendra carefully wrapped her sister's battle- worn sword and shield. Cassandra examined the sword, it was still gleaming, after all the battles it was put through. She held it in your hand and waved it around, before trying on the shield.  
  
Even more strange was how both these girls lost their faith in their gods. While Talim doubted the winds, Cassandra was upset at the God of the Forge. He nearly had her sister killed, and now is ruining her family. When Sophitia returned from her holy mission, she suffered from terrible bleeding and many broken bones.  
  
Why couldn't He just send a mighty warrior to deal with Soul Edge instead of Sophitia.  
  
Just mentioning the name of the demonic blade caused Cassandra to snap back and focus. She dropped the shield, causing a loud clang. Cassandra, afraid of being caught, quickly shoved the holy weapons into a sack, and walked toward the door of the shrine. As she was about to step outside the shrine, she took a quick glance back at the statue of the God.  
  
She understood the power in the god-blessed weapons she was borrowing, but she had no idea what she was up against. Her sister had told her many times about the carnage that Soul Edge was capable of, giving her nightmares for weeks.  
  
-- -- --  
  
The day before, Rothion, her brother-in-law proudly returned home from work, bringing home a glowing metallic shard. He told her that it cost a fortune and wanted to surprise Sophitia with an anniversary gift.  
  
Sophitia, without even seeing the strange shard, began to feel a pain in her head. She stumbled into her husband telling him that was in pain, while trying to force a smile. She dropped to her knees, shaking and sweating. When Rothion tried to help her up, he let go of the glowing shard, and it fell just like the shield earlier.  
  
Cassandra saw it with her own eyes, remembering how time seemed to slow down to a crawl. The shard as it fell, instead of having a metallic gleam to it, it instead flashed horrible colours of hellfire. As it dropped in midair, it seemed to laugh at Sophitia, whose face was slapped with shock, and more importantly, fear. Once the shard fell across Sophitia's face, Cassandra swore that she saw, on the shard, an image of a mutant eye that opened and stared at Sophitia. When the shard landed on the ground, there was a long pause. Both sisters said nothing, their eyes fixed on the shard.  
  
Cassandra was about to take a much needed breath, when the image of the eye on the shard rotated and stared right at her. She felt her heart shriek, and she stumbled back a few steps.  
  
Rothion wasn't staring at the shard however. He put his hand gently on Sophitia, who didn't move from her catatonic state.  
  
"Cassandra! Help me with your sister!" Rothion said. Cassandra was too shook up to move, so Rothion was on his own. He used only one hand to lift the frozen but still beautiful maiden onto his broad shoulders. His other hand was held in a fist as he carried Sophitia down to a bed to rest.  
  
Rothion returned looking worried, but told Cassandra that Sophitia was beginning to regain consciousness.  
  
"I'm sorry Rothion, I just kinda froze up" Cassandra explained feebly. She looked at Rothion's other hand, still held in a fist. "What's wrong" she asked caringly, but she felt that Rothion had a flash of anger surge through him.  
  
Rothion reluctantly opened his fist  
  
Cassandra couldn't believe it! Burned in Rothion's palm was the image of the mutant eye!  
  
While Rothion was helping Sophitia, Cassandra was left wondering if all that she saw earlier was just an illusion. Now she is left wondering the meaning behind it all. She was almost sure Rothion picked up the shard, but instead he had an image of an eye branded in his hand.  
  
Rothion seeing Cassandra's eyebrows furrow, tried to explain " I don't know what happened. The damn metal scrap got really hot all of a sudden"  
  
"Yes" Cassandra agreed, and pointed to the image branded on Rothion's palm. "That scar there looks a awful" she said, suddenly half-serious.  
  
"I don't see any scar. Hmm. are you ok Cassandra?" Rothion replied dumbly, as he examined his palm again.  
  
Cassandra felt that she was going crazy and that the shard would explain everything.  
  
"Where is that strange shard now?" wondered Cassandra quietly. This was when she first felt the desire to have the shard.  
  
Rothion sighed and quietly returned to the bedroom to be at Sophitia's side.  
  
Cassandra was looking all over the floor for this mysterious metallic shard. She felt a primal desire to have it, and closed her eyes to calm herself down. Strangely, she felt her hand heat up. For a moment, her hand started to vibrate uncontrollably.  
  
Opening her hand, she saw the mysterious shard!! It was there the whole time! This prompted her to run to the Shrine with her shard to look for answers.  
  
-- -- --  
  
Back in the Shrine, Cassandra was about to leave her home, hoping to save her sister. Just before she stepped out, she turned back. She was about to perform one last prayer, but she stopped.  
  
"I don't need any silly blessings" Cassandra thought to herself. "I have with me the very weapons that destroyed the Soul Edge. Destroying it again will be no problem"  
  
With that thought clouding her mind, Cassandra ran off to solve the mystery of the metal shard and the strange eye.  
  
***  
  
Summary : Talim has decided to leave the home. Cassandra has a flashback of the metal shard, and is also leaving home. Both girls are doubting the powers of their gods. 


	3. Transformation

Chapter Two  
  
Talim wandered around blindly for some while. It was still dark, and the fog was still settling. When she finally stumbled upon a large burly man loading cargo, she asked him about the fare for the boat ride.  
  
Tailm didn't have much money, and hoped that the fare was reasonable. She walked cautiously to the strange foreign man and asked " Excuse me, sir.. But. how much is the fare for this boat"  
  
The large man ignored her, and continued to stack barrels. Talim thought that the man didn't hear and walked closer and asked again.  
  
The man grunted. He was trying to do his job, and tried to ignore the little girl, but she wouldn't let up. "What do you want?" he asked, turning around to face her.  
  
Talim studied his face while she repeated her question for the third time. He was unshaven, and had a few scars across his face. He did not seem to care about his appearance and hygiene.  
  
"Sorry little girl. I just load stock. You've got to speak with the men who work up there" the man said, pointing to another large man who waited at the front of the boat, standing by a large lantern.  
  
Talim thanked the kind man, and skipped lightly to the man in charge of the boat fare.  
  
This time, the man saw her coming, and looked at her strange clothing. The lantern revealed Talim, who stood barely as high as the man's elbows. She had large brown eyes, and had two large braids of solid black hair flowing down to her shoulders.  
  
Talim was just about to speak when the man cut her off, saying "What do you want, little missy?". Talim felt a nice friendly tone in the man's voice, and replied less shyly than before  
  
"I was wondering how much fare you charge for a boat ride to the mainland"  
  
"Hmm?" the man raised a thick eyebrow, then smiled again and said "Well, that depends; little girl. Show me how much money you have" he said in an even nicer tone, and his smile showed his many missing teeth.  
  
He was trying to scam her, but Talim was much to naïve and unexperienced. She drew open her sack, started to count out small coins.  
  
While counting, Talim eyes widened and she gasped. She noticed something in her bag she did not plan on seeing.  
  
There was a strange metal shard hiding with her coins. This metal piece however, was not unfamiliar to her.  
  
-- -- --  
  
She found the very same metal shard while playing in the grassy hills of her village a few days ago. She was just running up a large hill, when a strong light reflected into her eye. The sunlight was bouncing off a strange piece of metal, and before she could get close to examine it, she felt a terrible pain burning in her head.  
  
She somehow knew that the little shard was responsible for her discomfort. She was a Wind Priestess, and had developed a sixth-sense.  
  
Sensing a strange aura from this shard, Talim tried to run home to warn her village chieftans. Unfortunately, after taking just a few steps, she collapsed.  
  
When she finally awoke, the village elders had a look of both relief and worry in their old eyes.  
  
"We found you two days ago on the grassy hills" said a village elder. He took a deep breath and continued "You wouldn't wake from your slumber for so long, we started to worry. I gathered several elders and prayed to the wind god the whole time you were asleep"  
  
The village elder smiled "Thank goodness our prayers were answered, and we have our special Talim back with us" "You mean so much to this community" he said quietly, resting his gnarled but firm hand on her shoulder.  
  
Talim thanked him, but inside she felt a little uncomfortable. Here he was, the village elder feeding her lies again.  
  
"I'm just an ordinary girl. Stop calling me a Wind Priestess. I don't want this life. I want to explore, I want to ride the seas with the foreign mariners" she thought to herself silently.  
  
"Talim! You musn't leave us! Do not trust those foreigners!" The village elder replied suddenly and sternly. He couldn't get mad at her  
  
Talim was surprised at what the village elder said. Had she spoken aloud? She remembered never having mentioned her secret desires openly. Talim was confused.  
  
"There is something I need you to explain to me.." said the village elder, "You were found clutching this tightly in your hand" The village elder paused to see if Talim would respond, but Talim didn't remember anything.  
  
The village elder drew out the tiny metal shard and said disappointedly "Here, look at this"  
  
Talim had a sudden flashback, and drew back from the shard. She felt the very same head ache, but much less intensely. "Keep it away" she screamed, and for the first time, sensed a blossoming evil rooting from the shard.  
  
The village elder quickly complied, and put the metal shard in a small box.  
  
"Talim.." sighed the old man. Talim this time didn't want to hear the village elder talk. "I must go, I'm sorry." she said coldly, and ran off. The village elder let his head sink and prayed.  
  
That night she was arguing with her parents and the village council. "I felt something very strange back then, and I am determined to find out what it is all about" yelled Talim.  
  
This was the first time she was angry, and the whole council did not know what to do with an angry Wind Priestess. "Calm down Talim. Think this through." was all they could do to try and subdue her rebelliousness.  
  
"I'm sick of being calmed down. You people don't understand. It's been bothering me the whole time, and you people just want me to sit in the old temple? You're out of your mind" exploded Talim.  
  
"Please understand Talim. You cannot go. Our people depend on you" replied the village chieftan. "Talim, you belong here" her mother pleaded.  
  
Talim looked away and decided that was all the argument was going to stop right then. She ran off to the her special throne-room in the temple, she was trying her best to weigh the situation.  
  
Her village says that they needed her, but she does not believe that. "I have done nothing, and the village has run perfectly" she said to herself. "On the other hand, there is this strange shard, which is definitely going to be a problem."  
  
Talim packed her things, and waited till dark to leave. Little did she know that the village elders knew of her planned departure, but they could do nothing to stop her.  
  
-- -- --  
  
"How did this get here?" wondered Talim, "I did not pack this!" She wondered why she didn't feel any discomfort when she held the shard, resting on many coins, on her tiny hand.  
  
"What is this strange scrap?" asked the man, and reached a hairy hand towards Talim. The man eyed the scrap and his face changed. His eyes narrowed and his smile changed into a greedy smirk.  
  
Talim felt a strange darkness emitting from the man, and took a step back. "What are you doing?!?!" she asked, frightened.  
  
"Give that to me!" the man snarled and grabbed Talim's hand with one hand while trying to pry the shard from Talim's clenched fist. Talim screamed and pleaded for help, but she realized that the rest of the men had disappeared. It was just her and this crazy man, bent on taking away her shard.  
  
Luckily for Talim, she packed more than just change. Inside her bag was a pair of elbow blades, and they were dropped to the ground in her struggle with the man.  
  
The metal shard, still inside her hand, spoke to her. "He's trying to take me away! KILL HIM" ordered the shard.  
  
Talim, for reasons unknown, submitted to the illusionary request of the shard, and felt an urge for bleed shed that she had never felt before.  
  
Talim, using her free hand to grab an elbow blade, drove the bladed point into the man's exposed ribs. The pain caused the man to grunt, but he did not let go of her hand. Talim crouched down, trying to bring her center of gravity down, and proceeded to hack at the man's side.  
  
Talim felt a bone shatter in the man, and he stumbled back, clutching his side, breathing slowly. Talim ignored the man, and picked up the matching elbow blade. She mercilessly attacked the man as he curled into a ball to protect himself. She tore into the man's neck, and yanked back, shredding his vital neck muscles. The man stopped struggling and shuddered one last time.  
  
"What have I done!" cried Talim, as she looked at the corpse. The bloodlust had left her as quickly as it had entered her. She wanted to help the dead man, hoping he was still alive, but knew that she just killed him. Now she just wanted to leave.  
  
Talim was about to return home, when she was attacked from behind.  
  
The dead body grabbed her, and whispered "Give the shard to me" softly in Talim's ear. Talim shrieked and tried to break free of the zombie, but was not strong enough. She turned back to look at the zombie's head, which had multiple stab wounds all over its pale face. As it talked, blood splurted out all over her.  
  
"Let go of me!" she cried again, and this time, she managed to slip away from the zombie. The zombie shambled after her, with an outstretched hand driven to take away the soul shard. "If I run, who knows what this monster will do to my village!" Talim thought to herself, trying her best to plan out her course of action. "It must be stopped now!" she decided almost suddenly, and she was ready for battle.  
  
The zombie lurched forward and was met by Talim's elbow-blade. Knocking the zombie to the left, Talim spun to the right, facing the zombie's back. She jumped up into the air, a drove her heels into the back of the ghoul, hoping to smash him into the ground. The zombie just shrugged off the attack, and turned around with an unholy speed.  
  
The ghoul tried to grab Talim again, but she rolled under the poorly aimed attack and drove her blades into the monster's belly. She watched as some visceral mass fall to the ground, making a messy splat. That disgusted Talim so much she lost focus, and the ghoul was upon her again.  
  
The zombie picked her up with one hand, and a crooked smile was formed on his badly cut lips. "The shard! It will restore me!" lied the zombie. Talim, who momentarily was frozen by fear, snapped.  
  
She shrieked and panicked, making even the zombie hesistate. Without thinking, she drove the elbow blade into the skull of the zombie, and he fell down, permanently.  
  
"Dear gods, what just happened?" she asked out loud. Talim was just experiencing the adrealine level in her body plummet, and felt immensely tired. She however, knew that her journey was going to be tough in the first place, ever since she sensed the strange energies in that shard. Who was responsible for the zombie man ?  
  
She was holding the shard, but it felt heavier, at the exact moment when she killed the zombie for the 2nd time.  
  
There were so many questions in Talim's mind, that she decided to think about them during her voyage on the boat instead.  
  
Wiping her blades clean of the dirty blood, she put back everything in her bag. She wanted to look at the dead body one more time, but she stopped herself, knowing that there can not be more delays. Almost all the cargo has been loaded, so the ship was about to set sail.  
  
"You've got a lot of explaining to do" sighed Talim, talking to the shard as if it could hear her. She lept on the boat to look for a hiding spot.  
  
The men had left crates and barrels in a neat formation, and Talim ,being less than 5 feet tall, managed to squeeze between the cargo to hide.  
  
She grew tired, but decided to stay awake the whole trip should something else happen. And if something was going to happen, Talim and her trusty elbow blades were always prepared.  
  
***  
  
Summary : Talim encounters a giant ship, and meets the sailors. Talim remembers her arguments in her village, and wonders how she ended up with the soul shard piece she thought she tried to keep away. One man is transformed by the alluring energy of the soul shard, and attacks her. Talim, is also transformed into a blood thirsty warrior, and kills the man twice. She sneaks upon the ship as it is about to set sail. 


End file.
